Southern Style Clip Joint

Have you ever been to Gwinnett County, Georgia?  Gorgeous.  My favorite climate is that of Tennessee and northern Georgia and Gwinnett compliments that with a laid-back suburban southern ease that makes every breath seem easy.  Anyway, that's where the Clippers played baseball on Wednesday night.

Scottie Barnes picked up his first AAA win by throwing six and two thirds scoreless against the Braves.  While Barnes (2.31 ERA) did not have what I would call pinpoint control (5 BB), he allowed just two hits and struck out seven.  Look for Barnes and Zach McAllister to step to the front of the Clippers rotation when the Tribe plucks Alex White for Saturday.

Carlton Smith finished up (2.1 IP, 2 H, BB, 4 K) for his first save and extended his season long scoreless streak to nine and two thirds innings.  Smith, a virtual unknown, struggled last season in his first taste of AAA.  This year opponents are hitting .222 off him and he has become the Clips' dominant reliever.

On the offensive side, Cord Phelps (.343) continued to rake with two hits and an RBI.  The Travis Buck (.412) show rolled on with a two run triple.  Ezequiel Carrera (.277) walked, scored a run and stole his 8th base.

McAllister is Thursday's probable as Columbus finishes up in Gwinnett (7:05p).  He will look for his 4th consecutive win to begin the campaign.

Other Minor Points of Interest --

Giovanni Soto, acquired last summer in the Jhonny Peralta trade, snared his first W of 2011 with six shutout for Kinston.  Soto (3.06) had lost his first three starts, but responded on Wednesday with his longest stint of the season surrendering three hits and a walk while striking out six.  Still just 19, the opposition is hitting .195 off of Giovanni so far.

Steven Wright continued his journey to become a real life knuckleball pitcher with a start for the Lake County Captains.  The first four innings were outstanding and unmarred.  Wright (3.12) gave up four hits and didn't walk anyone.  The Captains put up ten runs of support for him.  The fifth inning was quite a bit different.  A leadoff error preceded four straight hits.  Wright rebounded to get a ground out and his second K, but a wild pitch-homer-double sequence chased Steven to the showers.  Four of the six runs he allowed were sorted out as unearned and the absence of walks is either a great sign (control) or an awful one (his kunckler isn't moving).  Only time will tell.

Cheers.